BFC featured on Austin Bridal Secrets

I had the wonderful opportunity to do an audio interview with DJRJ and Austin Bridal Secrets recently. It was great fun talking about planning weddings and special events and of course, what makes Bella Flora Creative so special :-)

RJ is a real pro and takes time out of his busy schedule to help Austin brides connect with the right vendors that will make their event sparkle.

Please take a moment to stop by and listen and feel free to forward it to those friends and family that are looking for a planner or florist for their upcoming event. It would also be wonderful to hear comments from those of you that have worked with us.

Enjoy!

http://austinbridalsecrets.com/2008/09/03/harper-ferguson--bellafloracreativecom.aspx

Beth & Johnny 06.07.08

This was a super fun wedding to be a part of and a super wonderful couple to work with. Thinking outside the box was the name of the game, well that and the color red- fabulous!

With a ceremony atop Mt. Bonnell to the super fun reception at the United States Art Authority, this wedding was pure Austin.

The always creative and uber talented Cory Ryan took these amazing photos.

Summer is hear and time to plan for the Fall

Everyone should know by these record temperatures that Summer is officially here. The fireworks will be lighting the night sky all around this country and kids will be playing in sprinklers and eating watermelon like there's no tomorrow.

Summer is one of those fabulous times when one gets to thinking about all the plans for the Fall, well at least in my industry. The fashion mavens are launching their winter collections and brides are talking about what fall colors are appropriate without being too cliche. 

Summer is one of my favorite times because I don't need an excuse to keep my bathing suite on 20 hours a day and wear nothing on my feet except flip flops. My garden is flourishing despite the heat and I have more than enough safe tomatoes to eat, or whatever they deem "contaminated" next.

Many of my clients don;t realize that the summer is a great time to find savings when you are planning your event. Many photographers, florists, rental companies, etc. are offering specials or discounts on certain items or services. If you are a gambler, you can save quite a bit of money if you wait until summer to book some big ticket items. Lucky brides who opt for a planner should be guided to these specials and savings and having the negotiating power of a seasoned planner certainly doesn't hurt either.

So I say to all you procrastinators out there: get planning! The cool breezes of October will soon be on our doorstep and your super fabulous event needs more fabulousness. 

Family Fun Fest

I love designing and organizing kids parties. It's always a challenge but very rewarding. This event was for a very special school and was one of their primary fundraisers for the year. We had some wonderful sponsors for the event like Steaz and  NadaMoo along with some fantastic face painting, bouncers, traditional Indian dancing and fantiastic music from wonderful local musicians including Lisa Richards and Eliza Gilkyson. It was truly a fun time for all!

Thank you to Sarah Bork Hamilton for these beautiful photos.

Shoreline Wedding

This couple was so sweet! Everything was practically done in a weekend with an amazing outcome.

Thanks again to Mary Sledd for the beautiful photos.

Spring Wedding at Mercury Hall

I had the wonderful task of creating some fabulous flowers for a very sweet bride. She had chosen blue and purple for her colors which can be a challenge to find in flowers. Luckily in Spring there are some fabulous choices like hydrangea, hyacinth, delphinium and cornflower. 

A very special Thank You to Mary Sledd for the gorgeous photos.

www.sleddphoto.com

A few more photos at night...

Thank you Shawn Kennedy for the wonderful photos!

www.skimages.com

THE party of '07

The father of the party honoree contacted me in July '07 to design and plan the ultimate party for his daughter. The theme "Backyard Carnival". There were going to be logistical issues due to the fact that he wanted a real carnival in the backyard of their home. This was no ordinary backyard, but there were still going to be challenges. I immediately got to work since there was only three months to plan and made it happen. The invitations were a custom package design collaboration between myself and our graphic artist. They were clear Lucite boxes filled with real candy apples and the custom illustrated paper invitation with a drawn image of the ferris wheel we were going to have in the backyard. The whole carnival thing was a total secret to the guests so this invitation set the tone without giving it all away. I mean, who would get an invitation with a ferris wheel on it and think that was going to be at the party.

Next on the list was organizing the outdoor concert that was happening at this party as well. We had a local band Skyrocket open and close the show. John Ondrasik of Five For Fighting played an amazing solo set for the whole party. hearing songs like "Superman" and "100 Years" live overlooking Lake Austin at sunset was amazing!!

If that wasn't enough, we had a super cool Teen Disco going on in the media/game room of the house. The kids had a refuge from their parents to party and cut loose.

This was a super fun event to design and plan and the family I worked was amazing. I feel so fortunate to work with such wonderful clients. We all end up feeling like family members by the end of the party. Enjoy the photos!

June 2007 Rare Magazine Feature